Conventional lipstick containers include a cosmetic carrier, a tubular inner sleeve, a tubular outer sleeve and a decorative outermost sleeve. The cosmetic carrier supports the lipstick and is generally configured as a sleeve having radially extending lugs on opposing sides and is received within the inner sleeve. The inner sleeve defines longitudinally extending channels on opposing sides wherein the lugs of the cosmetic carrier extend therethrough. A spiral sleeve defining a continuous helical channel is positioned about the intermediate sleeve wherein the lugs of the cosmetic carrier are configured to be received in and to traverse along the length of the helical channel. This results in the cosmetic carrier being moved upwardly as the lugs traverse the length of the helical channel when a bottom portion of the intermediate sleeve is rotated. A decorative outermost sleeve is often provided for aesthetic purposes. In operation, a bottom portion of the inner sleeve extends beyond the bottom of the outer decorative sleeve. The user rotates the bottom portion to cause the cosmetic carrier and hence, the lipstick, to extend from the case for applying the lipstick and to retract into the case for storage.
Prior art cosmetic carriers are usually either top-fillable or bottom-fillable. According to conventional prior art methods of top-filling a cosmetic carrier, a pre-formed pomade is molded, cooled, and then manually or mechanically inserted into the cosmetic carrier, stopping on a solid base defining the bottom of the carrier. According to an exemplary prior art method of bottom-filling a cosmetic carrier, the cosmetic carrier does not include a bottom and is inverted and the liquid pomade is poured through the open end of the cosmetic carrier and is formed in a mold and solidified. Prior art methods thereby require that cosmetic companies have the capability to fill the cosmetic carriers from both the top and the bottom to facilitate customers varied requirements. This involves large inventories of cosmetic carriers which must be stored and specifically ordered by the customers. This also requires production changeovers resulting in inefficient use of production machinery. However, prior art attempts of providing a versatile cosmetic carrier require complicated cosmetic containers and do not provide an adequate solution to the aforementioned problem.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,801 to Cardia is directed to a complicated case for lipstick including a cosmetic holder which may either be top-filled or bottom-filled. The cosmetic container includes a cap, an external body, an intermediate body, and a stick holder. The stick holder is a tubular sleeve having an upper open extremity and a lower open extremity. The cosmetic container can be bottom-filled by disconnecting the external body, turning the case upside down and pouring a melted product into the intermediate body and through the lower portion of the stick holder. The fluid cosmetic mass enters the lower portion of the stick holder and completely fills the closed hollow upper portion forming the mold for the cosmetic stick. The method of top-filling the stick holder according to the prior patent includes pouring the melted product from the top of the cosmetic container when the cap and the closing capsule are disconnected and the stick holder is in a retracted position within the cosmetic container. Once a certain level is attained in the intermediate body, the cosmetic container is turned upside down. Accordingly, the cosmetic mass falls from the lower portion of the holder through the opening and into the upper hollow closed recipient forming the mold for the cosmetic stick. The prior patent discloses a complicated structure wherein the cosmetic stick holder is open on its bottom edge and the cosmetic is not supported by a base. The stick holder according to that patent is dissimilar to the type of cosmetic carriers typically demanded.